Photo: Frank Schulenburg · CC BY-SA 3.0Bodega sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for July heat
On a normal January night the air cools to about 42°. Only 32° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. In January, nights here are milder than in 91% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs December to January: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Bodega at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bodega’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bodega’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Bodega feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
A freeze most winters
Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ft Ross, CA, 19 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bodega’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 29°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 48 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Bodega
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55° run from November through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Ft Ross, CA.
Living with Bodega’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 9b. Frost comes about 9 winters in 10, so tender plants can often stay out through winter.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bodega from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (53%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bodega and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bodega yet.
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Bodega averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 51% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Bodega compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bodega’s place among California’s.
Bodega weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bodega’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 42° | 9.6" | 46° – 53° |
| February | 59° | 43° | 9.2" | 47° – 56° |
| March | 61° | 43° | 6.4" | 47° – 57° |
| April | 63° | 45° | 3.4" | 49° – 57° |
| May | 66° | 47° | 1.5" | 53° – 60° |
| June | 70° | 49° | 0.4" | 57° – 62° |
| July | 72° | 51° | 0.0" | 58° – 64° |
| August | 73° | 52° | 0.1" | 60° – 66° |
| September | 74° | 51° | 0.2" | 59° – 66° |
| October | 71° | 49° | 2.2" | 57° – 65° |
| November | 63° | 44° | 5.2" | 48° – 57° |
| December | 57° | 42° | 10.0" | 46° – 54° |
| Year | 65° | 46° | 48.1" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 47° to 57°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Bodega’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Bodega’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ft Ross, CA, 19 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Bodega’s climate
What is the weather like in Bodega?
A typical July afternoon reaches 72°, a January night drops to 42°. Milder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 103 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bodega in winter?
December nights average 42°. About 12 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 46°.
How hot does it get in Bodega?
July, with a typical high of 72°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Ft Ross, CA.
When is the first and last frost in Bodega?
There is no reliable frost date: a 32° night comes in about 87% of winters at Ft Ross, CA, so most years bring a freeze but some pass without one.
What growing zone is Bodega in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 29°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bodega?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Bodega getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 51% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bodega.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.